Hunt for 8 tonnes of gold: Thailand's DSI finds first clue in monk's case

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DSI finds first clue in monk's case
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- The Department of Special Investigation yesterday found the first clue in its hunt for the eight tonnes of gold bars and ornaments that were allegedly donated to Wirapol Sukpol during his time as a monk. The clue was found in a gold shop in Ubon Ratchathani.

Quoting the owner of Song Charoen Gold Shop, a senior DSI official said the former monk - known as Luang Pu Nenkham - had sold gold ornaments to her through his relatives on several occasions.

The shop owner Kesinee Obomkul, who also owns a housing estate in Muang district, said Wirapol had bought three houses from her but only paid for one.

DSI official Angsukate Wisutwatthanasak said the home that Wirapol had paid for in the Phet Phailin estate would be seized if it was found to have been bought by money donated to him for charitable purposes.

Angsukate also quoted Kesinee as saying that Wirapol did not pay for the Bt2.8-million house in the form of gold ornaments, though she did not provide details on the amount of gold he sold to her.

Separately, a DSI team visited a used-car dealership and spoke to the owner, who said he had nothing to do with Wirapol's purchase of luxury cars or the transfer of ownership.

More details about the former monk's assets keep emerging from either the official investigation led by the police and DSI or via media reports. Most recent reports have mentioned rumours that up to eight tonnes of gold was donated to the former monk for charity.

Meanwhile, a man who claims to be related to Wirapol set fire to his motorcycle in a protest outside the DSI headquarters. He also lodged a complaint against the agency saying the former monk was not being treated fairly. News reports later said that Suphan Khonhin was undergoing treatment for severe depression.

The DSI is waiting for Suphan's parents to produce documents certifying that he is depressed or he will be charged with causing a disturbance. Suphan is currently in DSI custody.


-- The Nation 2013-07-19

[Soutpeel]

The DSI is waiting for Suphan's parents to produce documents certifying that he is depressed or he will be charged with causing a disturbance. Suphan is currently in DSI custody.

And the lesson in this boys and girls...go the doctor, get a bit of a paper saying your depressed and do what you want, the BiB will not prosecute you....Sorry officer I had to smuggle that 3.5 ton's of finest gunja cos I am depressed..LOL

[Bluespunk]

I'm sorry, but 8 tonnes of gold! 8 tonnes!! I read in the Bangkok post 9000 kilograms were stolen by him but assumed it was a misprint. 8 tonnes, that can't be right, can it?

[Songhua]

I'm sorry, but 8 tonnes of gold! 8 tonnes!! I read in the Bangkok post 9000 kilograms were stolen by him but assumed it was a misprint. 8 tonnes, that can't be right, can it?

It's an awful lot of merit making. That's for sure.

[GentlemanJim]

I'm sorry, but 8 tonnes of gold! 8 tonnes!! I read in the Bangkok post 9000 kilograms were stolen by him but assumed it was a misprint. 8 tonnes, that can't be right, can it?

It can be perfectly right if he has been running a money laundering business for those people who suddenly find themselves very very wealthy after certain Government schemes have been put into place. This under the table wealth can often not be put in banks, it is often in cash and I am sure there are people with tens or hundreds of millions of baht that will be in boxes in their houses who find difficulty shifting it. So, off you go buy gold, give it to Monk, he sells it and shifts the money to the US bank accounts (I am sure there are other countries involved that have not even been looked at yet).

[Gsxrnz]

If a Monk can launder 8 tonnes of gold, just imagine what the politicians are doing by comparison. There's so much unknown about the graft in this country. If it were ever to be properly uncovered and publicised you'd need a terabyte of space to store the information.

[Thai at Heart]

I'm sorry, but 8 tonnes of gold! 8 tonnes!! I read in the Bangkok post 9000 kilograms were stolen by him but assumed it was a misprint. 8 tonnes, that can't be right, can it?

It can be perfectly right if he has been running a money laundering business for those people who suddenly find themselves very very wealthy after certain Government schemes have been put into place. This under the table wealth can often not be put in banks, it is often in cash and I am sure there are people with tens or hundreds of millions of baht that will be in boxes in their houses who find difficulty shifting it. So, off you go buy gold, give it to Monk, he sells it and shifts the money to the US bank accounts (I am sure there are other countries involved that have not even been looked at yet).

Bingo...

[LomSak27]

Ahh they're going to drag this soap opera out for weeks! Now its lets find the missing gold!

Treasure hunt WooHoo! What fun.

[NongKhaiKid]

DSI wouldn't know a clue if it jumped up and bit them. What they need is a letter from a suspect saying " it was me what done it " and explaining exactly how although I'm sure they would need help in taking it all in.

Only in Thailand could people like Sheeluck Tarit get a top job

[ezzra]

"a man who claims to be related to Wirapol set fire to his motorcycle in a protest" not a grate loss,

there are probably 100 more motorcycles belonging to the ex monk hidden somewhere,

[Thai at Heart]

Angsukate also quoted Kesinee as saying that Wirapol did not pay for the Bt2.8-million house in the form of gold ornaments, though she did not provide details on the amount of gold he sold to her.

Separately, a DSI team visited a used-car dealership and spoke to the owner, who said he had nothing to do with Wirapol's purchase of luxury cars or the transfer of ownership.

So they found out precisely, nothing

[Naam]

8 tons = 1.3 billion Baht = absolute nonsense!

[metisdead]

A copy and paste post of a dated article pertaining to Thaksin Shinawatra has been removed. As well as being a violation of fair use policy, this topic is not about Thaksin Shinawatra.

[OzMick]

8 tonnes of gold - nearly enough to build a stairway to heaven. In light of recent revelations, he could build it out of concrete and paint it yellow, and the mugs would believe it was gold.

[OzMick]

8 tons = 1.3 billion Baht = absolute nonsense!

If the government can admit to pouring 260 billion baht down the rice hole, why is it so difficult to believe that some tiny fraction might end up in the pockets of a dodgy monk?

Edited July 19, 2013 by OzMick

[Tatsujin]

I'm sorry, but 8 tonnes of gold! 8 tonnes!! I read in the Bangkok post 9000 kilograms were stolen by him but assumed it was a misprint. 8 tonnes, that can't be right, can it?

It can be perfectly right if he has been running a money laundering business for those people who suddenly find themselves very very wealthy after certain Government schemes have been put into place. This under the table wealth can often not be put in banks, it is often in cash and I am sure there are people with tens or hundreds of millions of baht that will be in boxes in their houses who find difficulty shifting it. So, off you go buy gold, give it to Monk, he sells it and shifts the money to the US bank accounts (I am sure there are other countries involved that have not even been looked at yet).

That's exactly how it's been done before and will continue to be done.

[Neilly]

BANGKOK: -- The Department of Special Investigation yesterday found the first clue in its hunt for the eight tonnes of gold bars and ornaments that were allegedly donated to Wirapol Sukpol during his time as a monk. The clue was found in a gold shop in Ubon Ratchathani.

If anyone spots one of these signs near where he lived give me a shout please

[jbrain]

I'm sorry, but 8 tonnes of gold! 8 tonnes!! I read in the Bangkok post 9000 kilograms were stolen by him but assumed it was a misprint. 8 tonnes, that can't be right, can it?

It can be perfectly right if he has been running a money laundering business for those people who suddenly find themselves very very wealthy after certain Government schemes have been put into place. This under the table wealth can often not be put in banks, it is often in cash and I am sure there are people with tens or hundreds of millions of baht that will be in boxes in their houses who find difficulty shifting it. So, off you go buy gold, give it to Monk, he sells it and shifts the money to the US bank accounts (I am sure there are other countries involved that have not even been looked at yet).

And why the monk should be involved.

A monk handling big amounts of money is suspicious in the first place, so if a monk can do this anyone else can do it by themselves, not?

[ETatBKK]

8 tons, or 9,000kg, or 1.3 billion baht of gold, is completely out of my head - what is it about ? this ex-monk has really good head !

my house ( in concrete ), plus people, plus cats and dogs ( plus fleas ) not likely equal to 8 tons, 9,000kg, certainly is not 1.3 billion baht. what is it about ?

[canopus1969]

My careers teacher at school never told me to be a politician or a monk to get ahead in life

[LuckyLew]

They just keep finding more and more funny business relate to this guy

Yet they will still not try bring him home

What a joke

Thailand - where if you are rich and powerful enough you can do whatever you want

[harrry]

Looks as if he needed an Antonov An-225 rather than that little plane in the newspaper photos to carry all that gold.

[Payboy]

Meanwhile, a man who claims to be related to Wirapol set fire to his motorcycle in a protest outside the DSI headquarters. He also lodged a complaint against the agency saying the former monk was not being treated fairly. News reports later said that Suphan Khonhin was undergoing treatment for severe depression.

What this bloke needs is spiritual guidance? Hope he knows a good monk or two.

[monkey4u]

I'm sorry, but 8 tonnes of gold! 8 tonnes!! I read in the Bangkok post 9000 kilograms were stolen by him but assumed it was a misprint. 8 tonnes, that can't be right, can it?

8000 kg is 8 tonnes so I guess maybe he had a BIG pick up truck to carry it

Maybe the monk watched the James Bond movie Gold Finger so all the cars be bought have body parts made from 18 carat gold

[Pib]

Tons...Kilograms....it's a Nation article....news reporters didn't take math in school.

[hellodolly]

I'm sorry, but 8 tonnes of gold! 8 tonnes!! I read in the Bangkok post 9000 kilograms were stolen by him but assumed it was a misprint. 8 tonnes, that can't be right, can it?

It can be perfectly right if he has been running a money laundering business for those people who suddenly find themselves very very wealthy after certain Government schemes have been put into place. This under the table wealth can often not be put in banks, it is often in cash and I am sure there are people with tens or hundreds of millions of baht that will be in boxes in their houses who find difficulty shifting it. So, off you go buy gold, give it to Monk, he sells it and shifts the money to the US bank accounts (I am sure there are other countries involved that have not even been looked at yet).

By now it is probably all in banks in countries that it will never be allowed to look at.

[lee b]

Sounds about right to me

[lowushatin]

The DSI is waiting for Suphan's parents to produce documents certifying that he is depressed or he will be charged with causing a disturbance. Suphan is currently in DSI custody.

And the lesson in this boys and girls...go the doctor, get a bit of a paper saying your depressed and do what you want, the BiB will not prosecute you....Sorry officer I had to smuggle that 3.5 ton's of finest gunja cos I am depressed..LOL

They are waiting for them.

Edited July 19, 2013 by lowushatin

[Naam]

8 tons = 1.3 billion Baht = absolute nonsense!

If the government can admit to pouring 260 billion baht down the rice hole, why is it so difficult to believe that some tiny fraction might end up in the pockets of a dodgy monk?

you have to look at the logistics exchanging 264,000 ounces of gold into Baht.

[brfsa2]

8 tons, or 9,000kg, or 1.3 billion baht of gold, is completely out of my head - what is it about ? this ex-monk has really good head !

my house ( in concrete ), plus people, plus cats and dogs ( plus fleas ) not likely equal to 8 tons, 9,000kg, certainly is not 1.3 billion baht. what is it about ?

a house is at least 50 tonnes

8 tonnes of Gold is equivalent to 5.3% of Thailand Gold Reserve. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_reserve)

It's more Gold than what dozens of country has as reserve.

so, yes, It's really a lot...

Sad reality of Thailand where people have to work so hard to buy a car, a house, a condo. everything is so highly Taxed by government. Yet these people are millionaire from taking the money from the country...

This corruption need to stop, the people need to do something about it.